Commentary:

So, just when is

Opening Day in MLB?
By Steve Behr, sports editor
sports@wataugademocrat.com

So let me see if I’ve got this straight:

Opening Day for Major League Baseball is March 31, at least according to the league’s Web site.

Except there’s an Opening Night, on March 30, featuring the Atlanta Braves playing at the Washington Nationals.

OK, so the first game of the season is then — except....

The Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics are both 1-1 following their Opening Day games — in Japan.

The Red Sox won the first Opening Day game 6-5, which began Monday at 6 a.m. Since I was awake, at least at 7 a.m., I caught about five minutes of that one.

Oakland returned the favor Wednesday with a 5-1 victory.

So which is the official Opening Day?

Who knows? Who cares?

I care.

We’re told by Dealin’ Bud Selig that baseball has never been more popular. At the turnstiles, I’ll believe him since I don’t exactly have the numbers in front of me. I do know that the last two years, I’ve made it a point to make a road trip to Atlanta to catch a weekend of games, which I would like to extend to at least a third season.

I also plan my trips to Colorado so I can catch some Colorado Rockies games. And I’m really looking forward to heading down to Hickory for some Crawdads games, gas prices permitting.

What I don’t like is that Opening Day has turned into Opening Days. And why Japan? Why do the Japanese get to see the first two games that count — and even though it’s a cliche, they all count — while we in America, who built the sport into what it is, miss out on one of our biggest traditions?

Opening Day used to more or less be sacred, especially to those of us who still hate the designated hitter, domed stadiums and courtesy runners. Opening Day in baseball signals the beginning of summer cookouts, Bermuda shorts and broken air conditioners.

Now Opening Day is being sold to the highest bidder. Good news, though. I’m sure the good people of Japan bought several Red Sox and Athletics T-shirts and really, isn’t that what holding games overseas is all about?

American fans have not only put up with congressional hearings on steroid use, they’ve also endured rising ticket and concession prices, parking pains, a boring All-Star game caused by too many players being invited to play and way too much interleague play.

I’m not against holding games across the ocean or south of the border. If Japanese, Chinese, Europeans or Latin Americans get to see a live Major League game, then more power to them.

But some things need to stay at home. NASCAR doesn’t move the Daytona 500 to Mexico City and the NFL doesn’t move the Super Bowl to London.

Opening Day needs to stay an American institution, and it needs to be one day, with all teams playing.